c. 1858. Ambrotype. Quarter plate. Half leatherette case.

Charming scene that features a rafter of turkeys in the foreground. Most views from the period are stiffly posed, this candid photograph includes a woman and child that curiously stare at the camera's lens. The woman, presumably the child's mother, holds the reins of a horse while a happy dog lounges at her feet. To the viewer's right is an older woman who is decidedly less interested in the photographer. She appears to be knitting.

The circumstance and location of the subjects are unknown. Perhaps this was temporary shelter on the frontier. Regardless, details abound in this interesting photograph and repeated viewings are encouraged.

[Historic Photography, Early Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Candid Photography, Women, Women's History]